Eddie Pasquale came into the season as a question mark and ends it as a legitimate prospect

The second-year goalie emerged from a three-man rotation that included veterans David Aebischer and Peter Mannino and started all 15 games the St. John’s IceCaps played during the Calder Cup playoffs.

While the IeCaps were outscored 14-2 in a third-round sweep by the Norfolk Admirals, this wasn’t a case of bad goaltending, as Pasquale finished the post-season with a 2.42 goals against average and .923 save percentage.

“He really built confidence and showed he can play in pressure situations and excel,” said IceCaps head coach Keith McCambridge. “He made a real strong push for himself in the back half of the season. He earned the chance to run with it and be the guy we were going to lean on in the playoffs.”

McCambridge wasn’t the only guy who took notice of Pasquale’s strong play.

“Part of the transition for us was getting to know all of the players,” said Cheveldayoff. “Eddie was someone who had played a year (professionally), but was a little bit of an unknown from the standpoint that he didn’t have a lot of starts on a regular basis.

“We started with three goaltenders and it became apparent that Eddie was someone who could stand on his own at the AHL-level. When we made the change to give him the net, we were very pleased with how he responded and how he responded.”

It’s likely Pasquale will require another year of seasoning in the AHL and the hard work of earning a job in the NHL is still ahead of him.

“He’s put himself in a good situation and it’s really all about continuing that progress moving forward,” said Cheveldayoff.

Paul Postma was another player who boosted his stock with the IceCaps this season.

After a strong pre-season with the Jets, the third-year blue-liner improved his play in his own zone and away from the puck and should push for a spot on the NHL roster this fall.

“The numbers obviously speak for themselves and I was pleased with how the coaching staff handled him and how he handled the ice time and responsibility,” said Cheveldayoff. “He’s had three full years at the AHL-level to develop and he’s developed nicely. Like any player, it’s all about what’s in front of you now.

“We’ve been very open and honest with every player, no one should ever take anything for granted. They have to ear every opportunity.”

FINISHING STRONG

It’s hard to imagine any IceCap enjoyed the playoffs more than defenceman Derek Meech.

Limited to just eight games (two with the Jets and six with the IceCaps) during the regular season because of a pair of injuries, the Winnipegger was a force, picking up four goals and nine points in 15 post-season contests.

“He had a tremendous playoff and worked extremely hard to come back,” said Cheveldayoff.

Meech, who turned 28 in April, will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1 but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him sign a one-year contract extension.

HOLDING PATTERN

The Jets have a number of prominent free agents — including left-winger Evander Kane and goalie Ondrej Pavelec — and Cheveldayoff wasn’t about to reveal who — if anyone — was close to coming to terms.

“You’re in constant contact with the agents,” said Cheveldayoff. “We’ve had different conversations at different levels with the various people. In some aspects we’ve changed proposals and in some (others), it’s just preliminary conversations.”

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